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116 | virginaustralia
B
aum Cycles is proof that it’s not
just artists who are benefting
from an increased interest in
bespoke products. A handcrafed
bike from the Victorian company is a dream
acquisition for passionate bike riders not only
in Australia, but internationally. People fy
from all over the world to Baum’s Geelong
factory. As one rider told Voyeur: “They’re
bikes you’d go into batle for.” Baum makes
about 150 customised bikes a year and boasts
some impressive clientele. Prime Minister
Tony Abbot and 2011 Tour de France winner
Cadel Evans are Baum bike owners.
Buying a customised bike is similar to
ordering a bespoke wedding dress — the
studio only deals directly with customers,
and the discussion process can take hours.
While bespoke crafsmanship is at the core
of the business, engineering is what motivates
design: performance, not aesthetics, is the
driving force. Darren Baum is a former
aeronautical engineer and has been building
bikes since he was a teenager and aspiring
DARREN
BAUM
BAUM CYCLES,
GEELONG
E
merging glassmaker Madeline
Prowd is one of a number of
Australian women gaining
recognition for their practice.
Originally from Canberra, Prowd is now
based at Adelaide’s internationally renowned
centre for craf practitioners, JamFactory.
“I focus on production ware and functional
items. I utilise a lot of traditional practices
in my work, drawing from Italian techniques
that have been used for hundreds of years
but applying them in a modern context.
It’s important for my work to be functional.
I think it speaks back to the tradition of the
material. I like producing things that people
can actually use. It makes it all feel worthwhile.
I try to keep the handmade element
otherwise I don’t see that there is really
any point. There is still a lot that machines
can’t do, so I try and maintain those things:
I pre-blow all my products, for example —
nothing goes into moulds. Then the diferent
elements, whether it is a colour-paterning
technique or a specifc curve on the lip, it
all relates back to the handmade.
I am strongly infuenced by the inherent
beauty of glass. I love the material and the
endless possibilities. The creation is a
team sport — you can’t do it alone, so it
has a really good community involved.
One of my biggest challenges is that I’m
actually lef-handed and glassblowing is
completely right-handed. That was a slight
adjustment. But because I haven’t done it
any other way it now feels natural.”
MADELINE
PROWD
GLASSBLOWER,
ADELAIDE
competitive bike rider. “Number one for us is
how you ft the bike,” he says. They next look
at handling, compliancy and use. “If you ride
out in country Victoria on very rough roads
you want a more compliant bike. Whereas
if you are going to be riding up and down a
perfect road in Singapore it can be stifer.”
This investigative process gives the
engineers an ideal weight, which drives
material and component selection. All
stages of manufacturing — from puting
the spokes in, to machining and painting
the frame — are done in-house. Clients
can customise their bike’s aesthetic, from
frame colour to the handlebar material,
stitching and perforations.
In an era where most people are removed
from the making process, being able to go
to the factory and see how the bike is made
is undoubtedly an atraction. “It is something
that has been lost in Australia,” Baum says.
“Not everyone knows how things are made.
For an engineering type person, they love the
process. For an artistic type, they want to see
where we do the painting and colour.”
A Baum bike doesn’t come cheap, starting
at about $7000 and ofen hiting the $15,000
mark. But these are bikes designed to last.
Like his customers, Baum is passionate about
longevity. “I hate obsolescence. I always prefer
to buy something that is crafed and meets
my needs. I don’t chase trends. I buy quality.”
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11/02/2015 9:42:59 AM